Download Ajivikas An ascetic sect that emerged in India about the same time

Ajivikas
Budhism/M
ahayana/Hi
nayana
An ascetic sect that emerged in India about the same time as Buddhism and Jainism. It was
founded by Goshala Maskariputra (also called Gosala Makkhaliputta), a friend of Mahavira, the
24th Tirthankara The Ajivikas believed that transmigration of the human soul was determined
by a precise and non- personal cosmic principle called Niyati (destiny or fate) and was
completely independent of the person's actions. They are believed to have been strict fatalists,
who did not believe in karma or the possibility of free will.
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Founded by Siddartha Gautama who was born in Lumbini.
In a series of encounters, known as the Four Sights, he learned the suffering of
ordinary people encountering an old man, a sick man, a corpse and a ascetic holy man.
These experiences prompted Gautama to abandon royal life and take up spiritual quest.
He realized physical austerities were not the means to achieve liberation. From then on,
he encouraged people to follow a path of balance rather than extremism.
Soul is myth - No God or transmigration of soul.
The five great events in Buddha’s life are represented by symbols as under:
Birth by Lotus; Youth by Bull ; Great Renunciation by Horse ; Nirvana by Bodhi Tree ;
First Sermon by Dharmachakra ; Death by the Stupa
The Wheel of Law or dharmachakra, is the most important symbol of Buddhism.
According to Buddha, dharma is the law that ensures the wealth of the greatest
number of people if practiced faithfully. The wheel symbolizes goodness in every person.
The Four Noble Truths are a contingency plan for dealing with the suffering humanity
faces
The First Truth identifies the presence of suffering. The Second Truth, on the other
hand, seeks to determine the cause of suffering. In Buddhism, desire and ignorance lie
at the root of suffering.
The Third Noble Truth, the truth of the end of suffering, has dual meaning, suggesting
either the end of suffering in this life, on earth, or in the spiritual life, through achieving
Nirvana. When one has achieved Nirvana, which is a transcendent state free from
suffering and our worldly cycle of birth and rebirth, spiritual enlightenment has been
reached.
The Fourth Noble truth charts the method for attaining the end of suffering, known to
Buddhists as the Noble Eightfold Path. The steps of the Noble Eightfold Path are Right
Understanding, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right
Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration. Moreover, there are three themes
into which the Path is divided: good moral conduct (Understanding, Thought, Speech);
meditation and mental development (Action, Livelihood, Effort), and wisdom or insight
(Mindfulness and Concentration).
The fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir under Kanishka marked the beginning of Mahayana
cult of Buddhism.
Hinayana (Theravada) tradition
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Human being are emancipated by self-effort without supernatural aid
Attainment require constant commitment and is primarily for monks and nuns
Buddha is a saint, the supreme teacher and inspirer
Does not emphasize so much on metaphysics, emphasis on meditation.
Does not emphasize on rituals
Mahayana
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Human aspiration are supported by divine powers and the grace they bestow
Key virtue is compassion
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Ideal is centered on the Bodhisattava. Bodhisattas were perceived as deeply
compassionate beings who accumulated merit through their efforts but used this not to
attain nibbana and thereby abandon the world, but to help others. The worship of
images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas became an important part of this tradition.
Buddha is a savior
Elaborate metaphysics
Put emphasis on ritual
Practice includes petitioner prayers
The Tibetian Buddhism follows a strict code of traditional hierarchy. It is essentially Buddhism
of Mahayana school, with elements of modified Shaivism and native ritualistic Shamanism.
Monks are called lamas. It is predominant religion of Tibet, Mongolia.
Pointers from NCERT
According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is transient (anicca) and constantly changing; it is
also soulless (anatta) as there is nothing permanent or eternal in it. Within this transient
world, sorrow (dukkha) is intrinsic to human existence. It is by following the path of
moderation between severe penance and self-indulgence that human beings can rise above
these worldly troubles. In the earliest forms of Buddhism, whether or not god existed was
irrelevant
The Buddha regarded the social world as the creation of humans rather than of divine origin.
Therefore, he advised kings and gahapatis to be humane and ethical. Individual effort was
expected to transform social relations.
The Buddha emphasised individual agency and righteous action as the means to escape from
the cycle of rebirth and attain self-realisation and nibbana, literally the extinguishing of the
ego and desire – and thus end the cycle of suffering for those who renounced the world
Therigatha a unique Buddhist text, part of the Sutta Pitaka, is a collection of verses composed
by bhikkhunis. It provides an insight into women’s social and spiritual experiences.
Buddhism grew rapidly both during the lifetime of the Buddha and after his death, as it
appealed to many people dissatisfied with existing religious practices and confused by the
rapid social changes taking place around them. The importance attached to conduct and
values rather than claims of superiority based on birth, the emphasis placed on metta (fellow
feeling) and karuna (compassion), especially for those who were younger and weaker than
oneself, were ideas that drew men and women to Buddhist teachings.
Pali Canon
The Pali Canon is the standard scripture collection of the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as
preserved in the Pali language. The Canon was written down from oral tradition at the occasion
of the Fourth Buddhist Council (in the usual Theravada numbering). The Pali Canon falls into
three general categories, called pitaka in Pali. Because of this, the canon is traditionally known
as the Tipitaka .The three pitakas are as follows.
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Vinaya Pitaka, dealing with rules for monks and nuns
Sutta Pitaka, discourses, mostly ascribed to the Buddha, but some to disciples
Abhidhamma Pitaka, variously described as philosophy, psychology, metaphysics etc.
The Dhammapada is a Buddhist scripture, containing 423 verses in 26 categories. According
to tradition, these are verses spoken by the Buddha on various occasions, most of which deal
with ethics. The Dhammapada is a popular section of the Pali Tipitaka and is considered one of
the most important pieces of Theravada literature.
Reasons for Decline:
With the surge of Brahmanical philosophers like Adi Shankara, along with Madhvacharya and
Ramanuja, three leaders in the revival of Brahmanical philosophy, Buddhism started to fade
out rapidly from the landscape of India. Moreover, regional rulers which were sympathetic to
Buddhism decline in numbers
Diminishing of Buddhism's distinctiveness with respect to the rise of Hinduism.
Furthermore, Hinduism borrowed elements from Buddhism. Vaishnavites eventually frowned
on animal sacrifices and practised vegetarianism (a requirement of Mahayana texts), while
Shaivites came to downgrade caste-distinctions as not relevant to religious practice.
Invasion by foreign rulers like Huns, Mahmud Of Ghazni, Mongols etc.
Vajrayana
Buddhism
Vajrayana Buddhism, also known as Tantric, Mantrayana and Esoteric Buddhism, is a school
of Buddhism that flourished around the 4th century in Tibet. This new sect is based on the
ancient Vedic Tantric practices of India. The tradition of Vajrayana started to evolve in eastern
India in the 8th century and gained wider recognition in Bihar and West Bengal. Nalanda
University became a center for the development of Vajrayana movement. At the end of the 13th
century, this school declined in India and merged with Hinduism
Jainism
Jainism was part of the Non Vedic Movement. Some common beliefs are:
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Denial of creator and omnipresent Gods
Rejection of Vedas as Revealed texts
Affirmation of Karma and rebirth, Samsara and transmigration of soul
Denial of efficacy of sacrifices and rituals for purification; Rejection of caste system
Distinguishing features of Jainism are:
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Its belief on independent existence of soul and matter,
absence of a supreme divine creator,
potency of Karma,
eternal and uncreated universe,
a strong emphasis on non-violence, morality and ethics based on liberation of soul.
Major Tenents – No lying + No Violence + No Stealing + Celibacy
Jaina philosophy starts with a perfect division of the universe into living and non-living
substances, Jiva and Ajiva. Jiva and Ajiva, by coming into contact with each other, forge
certain energies which bring about birth, death and various experiences of life; this process
could be stopped, and the energies already forged destroyed, by a course of discipline leading
to salvation.
Each jiva is an individual quite independent of other jivas. This is different from one of the
Hindu Vedanta schools of belief where each soul is part of a single ultimate reality.
In the 4th century CE, Jainism developed two major divisions. The Digambaras, like Mahavira,
practice total nudity to avoid all attachments. The Shvetambaras reject nudity as an exterior
symbol having no significance on their inner spiritual development. They also accepted women
into the monastic community early on, unlike the Digambaras.
Agamas are canonical texts of Jainism based on Mahavira's teachings. Mahavira’s preachings
were orally compiled by his disciples into various Sutras (texts) which were collectively called
Jain canonical or Agamic literature.
One of the most important and fundamental doctrines of Jainism is anēkāntavāda. It refers to
the principles of pluralism and multiplicity of viewpoints, and to the notion that truth and
reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, no single one of which is complete.
Anekāntavāda encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and
opposing parties
According to Syadavada, as reality is complex, no single proposition can express its nature
fully.
Nayavāda is the theory of partial standpoints or viewpoints. Every object has infinite aspects,
but when we describe one in practice, we speak only of relevant aspects and ignore the
irrelevant. This does not deny the other attributes, qualities, modes and other aspects; they are
just irrelevant from a particular perspective